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George Russell is on the back foot in the 2026 F1 title race and desperately needs a momentum shift in his favour, with Will Buxton now under the impression that mind games have begun between the Brit and Kimi Antonelli.
The gap between the two drivers’ championship frontrunners now stands at 43 points following Antonelli’s victory in Montreal, with Russell’s DNF throwing a massive curveball in his 2026 F1 title chances.
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The Italian driver’s four consecutive victories now mean that he is just two wins shy of matching Russell’s career tally for Grand Prix victories, and the pressure on both drivers is sure to ramp up with every passing race weekend.
Russell didn’t even see Antonelli as a title rival in pre-season, but the 19-year-old is certainly a candidate now, with the British driver’s comments after the most recent Canadian Grand Prix suggesting that mental warfare is now afoot between Mercedes’ driver duo.
- READ MORE: Ralf Schumacher says George Russell ‘can’t handle’ the pressure of Kimi Antonelli title fight
Will Buxton thinks the mind games have already begun between Mercedes’ drivers
In a recent episode of the Up To Speed podcast, Will Buxton highlighted one of Russell’s comments after the conclusion of the Grand Prix in Montreal as a clear indicator that mind games are now in play between the Briton and his counterpart.
After DNF’ing at the Canadian Grand Prix on lap 30, which handed Antonelli the victory, Russell told journalists that the title is now his teammate’s to lose. He also highlighted that the pressure is no longer on him.
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“I think his comments post-Canada suggest that the pressure’s off him and he’s got nothing to lose now, and all of that is a little mind-gamey,” said Buxton.
“He’s trying to put the pressure on Kimi, and trying to take it off himself. But whether he can drive with that freedom remains to be seen.”
After Antonelli secured his maiden victory in F1 at the Chinese Grand Prix earlier in the year, he asserted that he is ready for any ‘mind games’ that Russell has up his sleeve, but his mental fortitude in such a high-pressure situation remains to be properly tested.
The upcoming Monaco Grand Prix could be a good test for exactly that, given the sheer amount of concentration that is required to navigate the tight and twisting streets of the Principality.
- READ MORE: Guenther Steiner fears George Russell will never be a champion unless he stops being too ‘nice’
Will Buxton says Kimi Antonelli still needs to ‘tame’ the streets of Monaco
For Buxton, the 19-year-old is still largely unproven around Monaco. The former F1 presenter turned IndyCar commentator highlighted Max Verstappen’s prior experiences with the barriers in Monte Carlo as a clear example of what could go wrong.
“Kimi, we love how he races,” Buxton added. “We love his youthful exuberance and the extremes that he can go to. And that can look a little wild. So whether he can tame that around Monaco’s streets will be fascinating to see.
“People always said that Max was quite a wild driver and quite lurid, and he tamed Monaco, but not before he’d had some pretty big shunts at Monaco.”
Antonelli concluded his rookie Monaco GP in P18, after a difficult qualifying session that saw him crash at turn 10 and start from P15 on the grid. Another result like that this year may see the momentum shift into Russell’s favour in the title race.
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